I’ll Be Home for Christmas
Guest Experience Manager Justin Allsopp hasn’t been home for Christmas for two years. But he and his wife Jennifer are returning this year with quite a present for his parents: new baby boy Zachery.
Home for Justin is Burton-on-Trent in England’s Midlands. He grew up there and played semi-pro soccer for the nearby Gresley Rovers. He went to work for Bourne Leisure, Royalty Resorts parent company, at a number of the company’s properties there. And it was there, at Rockley, that he met Jennifer, a Canadian who had come to work as a restaurant supervisor while he was Sports and Leisure Manager.
They still work together, though Jennifer is taking a year of maternity leave, tackling a somewhat tougher job than what she does in our Welcome Center. The two dated for three years before coming to Canada to marry in front of 170 family and friends three and a half years ago. And, as these things go, six months ago, along came Zachery.
Justin’s excited to return home and have the family – his Mum, Carol, Dad, Dennis, older sister, Dawn, her boyfriend, Phil, Dawn’s four year old son, Harry, and a host of aunts, uncles and cousins – come and meet the family’s newest member.
Justin is expecting it to be a traditional Allsopp family Christmas. Mum will have the Christmas tree decorated ahead of time and just the immediate family will spend Christmas Eve together, in all probability fawning over little Zachery.
Christmas Day will begin with bacon sandwiches with ketchup. (When we expressed surprise at this, noting that tradition here had bacon sandwiches in the U.S. usually came with mayo, Justin suggested we try it his way. We promised we would.) Then the family would gather round the tree and open presents, then turn their attention to the stockings that usually contain fun gifts. Santa will in all probability provide little Zachery with quite a haul. When asked if he had any of his shopping done or even knew what he was getting for Jennifer and son, Justin laughed and explained that shopping was usually a last-minute affair for him.
Then the family will sit down to a “huge” midday meal that this year will feature turkey with all the usual accompaniments, from stuffing and potatoes to parsnips and carrots.
“Then we’ll spend the rest of the afternoon unable to move, except little Harry who will be running rings around everyone,” Justin says. The remainder of the day will be spent entertaining family and friends who stop by to share a little Christmas spirit and meet young Zachery.
As for special plans, for Justin the most special thing of all will be to celebrate is “just to see people and do as little as possible. It’s been,” he says, “a very busy season.”
It certainly has been. In addition to assuming his new role of Dad, the former Sports and Recreation Manager has taken on a whole new set of challenges at Sherkston since becoming Guest Experiences Manager. In his new position Justin oversees the team leaders that look after the bar, restaurant, arcade, swimming pool, and Owner’s Exclusive.
“I love the job because of the diversity of things I get to do and it’s fun and interesting trying to get the best out of such a divergent group of talented people,” he says.
Which is why he’s so looking forward to spending time with the very best present he and Jennifer are going to get this year, their new best buddy Zachery.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.